2024 RM Sotheby’s London Sale (Jaguar XKSS Announced)

A rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS is the star car for sale in the RM Sotheby’s London classic car auction 2024.

A rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS is the star car for sale in the RM Sotheby's London classic car auction 2024.
Neil Fraser ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s announced a rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS with racing history for the London 2024 sale. It is the first time ever that a Jaguar XKSS is offered at auction in Europe. The Jaguar comes with a pre-sale estimate of £9,000,000 to £13,000,000 (US $12,000,000 to $17,000,000).

RM Sotheby’s London 2024 Classic Car Auction

RM Sotheby’s London 2024 classic car auction: 2 November 2024 at The Peninsula London, United Kingdom (UK), shortly before the annual London-to-Brigthon vintage car race.

1957 Jaguar XKSS at RM Sotheby’s London Sale 2024

A rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS is the star car for sale in the RM Sotheby's London classic car auction 2024.
Neil Fraser ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The headline car for the RM Sotheby’s London 2024 classic car auction is the 1957 Jaguar XKSS, chassis XKD540. Although a road car born from Jaguar’s Type-D racing chassis, this XKSS was also raced in period. Its presale estimate is £9,000,000 to £13,000,000 (US $12,000,000 to $17,000,000).

Jaguar developed the XKSS road car by using 18 D-Type chassis that were unused from its racing program that conquered the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in the 1950s. The XKSS on offer was raced in period in Britain and Australia.

Chassis XKD 540 is one of just two XKSSs to retain its D-Type competition XKD chassis number and was retained by Jaguar until April 1957, before being returned to the manufacturer for conversion to full XKSS specification in October 1958. It was then upgraded from 3.4- to 3.8-litre specification by the Jaguar factory in 1960. The car was finished in the classic Jaguar combination of British Racing Green over a green suede leather interior.

This XKSS was sold to Jack Browning in 1959 and subsequently went to Australia in 1962, where it was raced locally. The car was purchased in 1972 by noted Jaguar enthusiast Bryan Corser, before being sold to long-time owner Hermann Graf von Hatzfeldt in 1985. Acquired by the consignor in 2017, and rarely driven since, the XKSS has been fastidiously maintained by marque experts Pearsons Engineering and CKL Developments. 

Jaguar XKSS Prices at Auction

1957 Jaguar XKSS
Zach Brehl ©2023 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s describes the Jaguar XKSS as “vanishingly rare, utterly beautiful, and … one of the most desirable British sports cars ever made.” With so few produced, these cars are rarely offered for sale in public auctions.

The last time an XKSS sold at auction, the 1957 Jaguar XKSS, chassis 707, set a model record at $13,205,000 as the top result at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2023 classic car auction. This was the first Jaguar XKSS to achieve over $10 million and only the third Jaguar in this exclusive group. 

A 1957 Jaguar XKSS Continuation achieved $1,980,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Elkhart 2020 sale but the (same?) car only achieved $1,545,000 at Gooding Pebble Beach 2022.